Objective:To investigate the diagnostic potential of serum Dickkopf-related protein 3(Dkk3)as a novel biomarker for sarcopenia in an elderly Chinese population by examining its correlation with muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical function.Methods:The study included elderly individuals aged ≥60 years from the Health Examination Center of Jiangsu Provincial Hospital between 2021 and 2022, who had independent mobility and were free from acute diseases.Fat and muscle mass were measured using Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry(DXA). Grip strength and chair stand test times were employed to assess upper and lower limb muscle strength, respectively.Physical function was evaluated using the Short Physical Performance Battery(SPPB). Serum Dkk3 concentration was measured using a human Dkk3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)kit.Results:A total of 108 elderly participants(83 males)were included in the study, with an age range of 60 to 97 years(mean age: 70.6±10.8). Serum Dkk3 concentration was found to be negatively correlated with the skeletal muscle mass index(SMI)( R=-0.292, P=0.002), lower limb muscle mass( R=-0.320, P<0.001), upper limb muscle mass( R=-0.222, P=0.020), and hip muscle mass( R=-0.261, P=0.006). Functional assessments revealed negative correlations with grip strength( R=-0.204, P=0.035), 4-meter walking speed( R=-0.195, P=0.043), the three-position balance test( R=-0.245, P=0.011), and the SPPB score( R=-0.196, P=0.043). Regression analysis indicated that, after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index(BMI), and comorbidities, Dkk3 remained negatively associated with lower limb muscle mass( β=-0.197, P=0.012), hip muscle mass( β=-0.156, P=0.029), and the SPPB score( β=-0.001, P=0.013). The sarcopenia group exhibited a 55.6% higher serum Dkk3 level compared to the control group(76.68±37.62 ng/ml vs.49.27±25.88 ng/ml, P<0.001). Receiver Operating Characteristic(ROC)curve analysis determined the optimal diagnostic threshold to be 80.08 ng/ml, with an area under the curve of 0.726, a sensitivity of 41.98%, and a specificity of 96.30% for detecting sarcopenia. Conclusions:Serum Dkk3 is closely associated with reduced muscle mass in the lower limbs and hips, as well as a decline in physical function, in elderly individuals with sarcopenia.Given its cost-effectiveness and clinical utility, serum Dkk3 shows potential as a meaningful biomarker for diagnosing sarcopenia in the elderly.

Epidemiology research has found that ABO blood group and the gene coding ABO glycosyltransferases are associated with many human diseases. The activity of ABO glycosyltransferases varies with different blood types, mediating different glycosylation modifications. The variation in glycosylation level might be the risk factor of specific disease. Based on the literature retrieval and analysis, glycosylation levels regulated by ABO glycosyltransferases mainly affect the ABH blood group antigens and von Willebrand factor (vWF). By modulating key glycosylation components, ABO glycosyltransferases partly determine the activity or expression levels of the ABH antigens and vWF, thereby affecting the development and progression of diseases. Exploring the pathogenic mechanisms of ABO glycosyltransferases can improve the understanding of the molecular pathology of related diseases and provide reference for clinical research and application.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of children with anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (anti-HMGCR) antibody-mediated necrotizing myopathy, and to explore early identification and management strategies to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and treatment outcomes of 10 pediatric patients with anti-HMGCR antibody-mediated necrotizing myopathy admitted to the Department of Rheumatology, Children′s Hospital of Fudan University from December 2020 to December 2024. Statistical description was performed using SPSS 22.0.Results:Among the 10 patients, the male-to-female ratio was 1:4, the age of onset was (7.2±4.0) years, and the disease duration at diagnosis was (22.2±19.6) months. None had a history of statin exposure. Six patients presented with muscle weakness, and4 were diagnosed due to asymptomatic elevation of creatine kinase (CK); 4 had dermatomyositis-like rashes. All patients showed significantly elevated CK levels [median 3 291(1 969, 8 776)U/L] and underwent muscle biopsy. Histopathological findings revealed myofiber degeneration, necrosis, and regeneration in all cases, with inflammatory infiltration in 9 cases, MHC-Ⅰ positivity in all, and C5b-9 positivity in 9 cases. The median follow-up duration was (15.7±6.3) months. At the last follow-up, muscle strength was normal or nearly normal, and the CK median value had decreased to 977.5 (211.0, 3 536.0) U/L.Conclusion:For patients with suspected idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and significantly elevated CK, muscle-specific antibody testing-including anti-HMGCR-and muscle biopsy should be performed promptly regardless of the presence of skin rash, to ensure accurate diagnosis and guide treatment, thereby avoiding misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis.

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the morphological and functional changes of jejunal and ileal epithelium in aged mice using 3D organoid culture, to elucidate the age-related alterations in epithelial function across different regions of the intestine.Methods:The C57BL/6J male mice were divided into two groups: a young group(5 months)and an old group(24 months).Epithelial tissues from the jejunum and ileum were harvested, and the jejunal and ileal epithelial crypt units were separated for 3D organoid culture in vitro.Histological analyses, including H&E and PAS staining, immunofluorescence staining, and quantitative PCR, were employed to assess changes in crypt depth, villi length, goblet cell numbers, inflammation, and mucosal barrier function in the aged mice.Results:With aging, the crypt of jejunum became deeper and the ratio of villi length to crypt depth decreased, while the villi length of ileum became longer and the ratio of villi length to crypt depth increased.The rate of organoid formation in jejunal and ileal crypts and the number of crypto-like regions of organoid formation were significantly decreased in the aged mice, along with a decrease in the expression of the stem cell proliferation marker Ki67.The inflammation of the jejunal and ileal epithelium increased in the aged mice, and the mechanical barrier function of the epithelial mucosa was enhanced.Conclusions:In aged mice, both the jejunal and ileal epithelium exhibited similar changes in stem cell proliferation, inflammation, and mucosal mechanical barrier function, though the changes in villus length and crypt depth ratio were opposite.This study provides a foundation for further investigation of the differences in jejunal and ileal epithelial function and its potential mechanisms during aging.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) combined with main splenic artery embolization in the treatment of patients with portal hypertension upper gastrointestinal bleeding complicated with extensive portal vein thrombosis (PVT).Methods:This study was a prospective, single-center, open-label, single-arm clinical trial. In the first phase, 81 patients with portal hypertension upper gastrointestinal bleeding who were admitted to Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2018 to December 2018 were consecutively enrolled, including 57 males and 24 females, with the age of (51.3±10.4) years. During TIPS surgery, the pressure of the portal vein before and after the balloon blocking the splenic artery was measured to clarify the contribution of the splenic artery to portal hypertension. In the second stage, from January 2019 to December 2022, 104 patients with portal hypertension upper gastrointestinal bleeding complicated with extensive PVT were re-enrolled, including 71 males and 33 females, with the age of (50.9±12.5) years. TIPS combined with main splenic artery embolization was performed, and portal vein pressure was measured before and after embolization. Follow up on the postoperative esophageal and gastric varices of the patients in the second stage.Results:The portal vein pressures before and after the first stage of balloon occlusion of the splenic artery were (35.2±8.4) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and (24.2±6.3) mmHg, respectively. The pressure after occlusion was lower than that before occlusion, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=10.54, P<0.001). The portal vein pressures before and after the second stage embolization were (36.1±9.5) mmHg and (21.1±4.7) mmHg respectively. The pressure after embolization was lower than that before embolization, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=13.47, P<0.001). In the second stage, among the 104 patients, the proportion of those whose varicose veins disappeared or improved 6 months after the operation was 43.3%(45/104) and 51.0%(53/104), respectively. There were no patients with aggravation or rebleeding due to rupture. One year later, 8 patients (7.7%) had aggravated or ruptured esophageal and gastric varices with bleeding. Two years later, 12 patients (11.5%) had aggravated or bleeding. Conclusion:TIPS combined with main splenic artery embolization can effectively reduce the portal vein pressure in patients with portal hypertension upper gastrointestinal bleeding complicated with extensive PVT, improve the degree of esophageal and gastric varices, and reduce the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a common vascular obstractive disease of portal vein, often occurring in patients with liver cirrhosis, malignant tumors, and after abdominal surgery. Its clinical manifestations are diverse and often subtle, posing a challenge to treatment decisions. Traditional PVT classification systems, such as the Yerdel classification, are mainly based on anatomical characteristics but fail to fully integrate hemodynamic information and are complex. Traditional staging primarily uses symptoms and thrombus formation time as criteria, without fully incorporating imaging information, making clinical judgment difficult. This article reviews the traditional staging and classification of PVT and their limitations, and explores the introduction and application of new staging and classification systems. The new system integrates imaging and hemodynamic information, providing a more precise diagnosis and treatment guide in a concise manner to offer more precise and effective treatment options for PVT patients.

Objective:To establish a digital quality evaluation system for Salvia miltiorrhiza-Monascus fermentation products,screen critical quality markers,and provide methodological support for their intelligent quality control.Methods:Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS)was employed to quantitatively analyze 34 bioactive components(e.g.,tanshinone Ⅱ A and alvianol-ic acid B)in 20 batches of fermentation products.The key markers were screened through hierarchical cluster anal-ysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis,and an intelligent discriminant model was constructed with sup-port vector machine machine learning algorithm to digitally analyze the characteristics of quality differences between batches.Results:Thirty-four common peaks were calibrated across all batches.Combined with partial least squares analysis,six key difference markers were further screened,including terpenoids such as isotanshinone Ⅱ A and tan-shinone Ⅱ A and phenolic acids such as salvianolic acid G.The support vector machine model can achieve 100％accuracy of origin discrimination by optimizing parameters jointly with genetic algorithm and grid search.Conclusion:This study developed a digital quality evaluation system for Salvia miltiorrhiza-Monascus fermentation products through a three-step analytical strategy("chemical feature exploration-marker screening-model valida-tion"),providing a transferable technical pathway for the intelligent transformation of traditional Chinese medicine quality control.

Objective To investigate the effect of drug-eluting bead DACE(DEB-TACE)combined with systemic treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)in different locations.Methods A total of 204 HCC patients who underwent DEB-TACE combined with systemic therapy(targeted and immunotherapy)were retrospectively collected.According to the anatomical location of HCC,86 cases with lesions located at the main trunk of portal vein(PV)or within 1 cm of the first PV branch were classified into central type group,while 118 cases with lesions located at the other areas were classified as peripheral type group.Follow-up was regularly performed after DEB-TACE until August,2024.The objective response rate(ORR)and disease control rate(DCR)at 1,3,6 and 12 months after DEB-TACE,also patients'progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS)were compared between groups.Results All patients were followed up for a median of 32.6 months,during which 164 cases died.Significant differences of ORR at 1 and 3 months after DEB-TACE(77.91％[67/86]vs.89.83％[106/118],34.88％[30/86]vs.54.24％[64/118])and DCR at 3 and 6 months after DEB-TACE(51.16％[44/86]vs.66.95％[79/118],34.88％[30/86]vs.50.00％[59/118])were found between groups(all P＜0.05).Patients'PFS(30.18[9.12,48.54]months)and OS(37.36[17.79,56.68])in peripheral type group were better than those in central type group(20.11[11.35,28.87]months and 23.24[3.11,43.47]months,x2=3.971,4.162,P=0.048,0.041).Conclusion The effect of DEB-TACE combined with systemic treatment for peripheral type HCC was better than for central type HCC.

Epidemiology research has found that ABO blood group and the gene coding ABO glycosyltransferases are associated with many human diseases. The activity of ABO glycosyltransferases varies with different blood types, mediating different glycosylation modifications. The variation in glycosylation level might be the risk factor of specific disease. Based on the literature retrieval and analysis, glycosylation levels regulated by ABO glycosyltransferases mainly affect the ABH blood group antigens and von Willebrand factor (vWF). By modulating key glycosylation components, ABO glycosyltransferases partly determine the activity or expression levels of the ABH antigens and vWF, thereby affecting the development and progression of diseases. Exploring the pathogenic mechanisms of ABO glycosyltransferases can improve the understanding of the molecular pathology of related diseases and provide reference for clinical research and application.

Objective:To establish a digital quality evaluation system for Salvia miltiorrhiza-Monascus fermentation products,screen critical quality markers,and provide methodological support for their intelligent quality control.Methods:Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS)was employed to quantitatively analyze 34 bioactive components(e.g.,tanshinone Ⅱ A and alvianol-ic acid B)in 20 batches of fermentation products.The key markers were screened through hierarchical cluster anal-ysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis,and an intelligent discriminant model was constructed with sup-port vector machine machine learning algorithm to digitally analyze the characteristics of quality differences between batches.Results:Thirty-four common peaks were calibrated across all batches.Combined with partial least squares analysis,six key difference markers were further screened,including terpenoids such as isotanshinone Ⅱ A and tan-shinone Ⅱ A and phenolic acids such as salvianolic acid G.The support vector machine model can achieve 100％accuracy of origin discrimination by optimizing parameters jointly with genetic algorithm and grid search.Conclusion:This study developed a digital quality evaluation system for Salvia miltiorrhiza-Monascus fermentation products through a three-step analytical strategy("chemical feature exploration-marker screening-model valida-tion"),providing a transferable technical pathway for the intelligent transformation of traditional Chinese medicine quality control.